Seasons of Love
by Zane's Girl- Jo
Summary: 525,600 minutes, 525,000 moments so dear. In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee. The story never ends, let's celebrate, remember a year in the life of friends. Starts in August and ends in July of following year. Better summary inside.
1. Fall: August

**Seasons of Love**

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Summary: 525,600 minutes, 525,000 moments so dear. 525,600 minutes - how do you measure, measure a year? In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee. In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife... The story never ends, let's celebrate, remember a year in the life of friends. Seasons of love. A year in the life of our Wicked friends. Starts in August and ends in July of the following year. AU.**

_Fall_

_August_

The wind soared over the tree tops, sending leaves of all colors dancing to the ground. As the students of Shiz University hurried across the green, rushing towards their next class, the wind followed at their backs, pushing them along with a cool hand. Loose strands of hair were picked up and airborne; tassels on scarves waved to each other as the owners hurried along, and skirts flapped like flags in the wind.

One student in particular, felt the wind at her back and wanted so badly to go off course and chart her own wind-blown path in the world. She was sick of the path she was on, tired of following the rules set for her, and refused to conform to the University's idea of the world. Instead of sitting back and letting life pass her by, she chased after it, making sure she forged her own path while at school.

Finally, she slipped into the Life Sciences classroom, closing the door behind her, shutting the wind outside. Shaking the chill from her body, she walked to her seat, slipping into it before class started. Setting her books down, she tossed her raven plaite over her shoulder, and watched the room, noticing the door open out of the corner of her eye. Her head snapped to the side, as the door opened and someone slipped inside.

As the door shut quietly behind him, he glanced around the room, searching for an empty seat, and finding the only empty seat by the window, he hurried to the seat, slipping into it as the professor started the lesson. For several minutes, his seat mate did nothing but watch the professor, taking notes and listening. Then, for whatever reason, her focus was diverted from the professor, and slowly, she turned towards him.

At first, all he noticed was the thick, raven braid running down her back, the deep black contrasting with the stark navy blue of her blouse. The next thing that came into view was her skin- a soft, enchanting harlequin green. It was unlike any other skin tone, not pale, rose, or brown like normal tones, but of a different shade entirely, making her exotic, unique, something not of this world. What caught his eye next, was the deep violet of her eyes, that stared at him through nice and neat little reading glasses. So entranced by her eyes was he, that he didn't realize the professor's voice, or the other students in class; he only noticed her, with her slender nose, her violet eyes and the soft green lips that formed a small smile as she looked him over once, before turning back to the lecture.

He smiled back, suddenly finding that she was the only thing that mattered. When lecture ended and class was dismissed, she was one of the first to gather her books and slip out of her seat, before going to the door and slipping through the throng of students. Slowly, he snapped out of his reviere, gathered his books, and followed, trying to catch up with her. Every so often, he'd catch a flash of black hair, and rush after her, only to find that it wasn't her, but someone else.

Eventually, he gave up his search, and left campus, going to the Wilted Rose, a small cafe in downtown Shiz, a popular hangout for Shiz University students. He passed other students, locals, and vendors selling things to those passing on the street. He passed boutiques, bookstores, and little cafes, all with decorative awnings and signs pointing out daily specials. Finally, he got to the Wilted Rose, and passing the window, he caught sight of someone he'd been searching for all afternoon.

Her.

She was sitting at a table, a cup of coffee in front of her, a book open in her hands.

Taking a deep breath, he pushed the door open and slipped inside, looking around to give the impression that he was searching for a table. Satisfied that he had found his prey, he closed the door softly behind him and slowly made his way towards her table. She was so engrossed in her book; she didn't hear him, until he was in front of her. He cleared his throat softly, and she looked up, her violet eyes going from the pages of her novel to his face in a matter of minutes.

She raised her eyebrows quickly, watching him, before glancing at the chair across from her.

"I'm Fiyero. Do... do you mind if I join you?" He asked softly. Her eyes again went from him to the chair, and for a moment, time stood still as she debated what to do, her lip between her perfect white teeth. When it looked like she wasn't going to respond, he took that as her answer and turned to go.

"Wait. You can sit."

He turned, her soft whisper calling him to come back. He raised his eyebrows momentarily, before returning to the chair. She nodded once, gently kicking the chair towards him. He sighed, and sat down across from her, dropping his book bag to the floor. They sat in silence for several minutes, before both ordered coffee- he a cup and she a refill- and returned to the silence that had started. She closed her book and set it aside, before folding her arms on the table and watching him. After a moment, she licked her lips and said,

"Hi. I'm Elphaba."


	2. August

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

She searched for her sister for several minutes, before giving up and accepting the fact that she had forgotten her- most likely heading over to the Wilted Rose or holding up in the library after class to avoid socializing with anyone. Sighing, she rolled her eyes and moved down the path, the wheels of her chair moving slowly as she passed other students. That was so like her sister. Not that she minded, but it would be nice to spend some time with her, especially now that they were both at Shiz. They didn't get to spend time together at home, and now, it looked like they weren't going to spend time together at school either.

It didn't help that her sister was a third year, and she was a first year.

As she made her way down the path, one of the wheels of her chair hit a rock left in the middle of the path, and her books tumbled to the ground and out of her reach.

"Oh why?" She whispered softly, leaning down to grab the books, but unable to, she sighed, and sat back, wishing her sister hadn't bailed on her. It was times like these that she wished there was someone around.

"Here." Her head snapped up, to see a young man holding her books out to her. His hazel eyes locked on her green eyes, and he smiled softly at her. Slowly, she reached out and took the books, placing them back in her lap.

"Thank you." She whispered. He nodded, slinging his book bag over his shoulder before turning to go. "Wait!" He stopped and turned to her.

"Yeah?" It took a few moments, but she finally was able to catch up to him. As they moved along, she asked,

"Don't I know you?" He shook his head.

"I don't think so, but you look familiar." He studied her for a moment, before realization struck. "You're Miss Elphie's younger sister, aren't you?"

"Elphaba?" He nodded. She blushed. _"Elphie?" _She asked, after a moment of silence. He chuckled softly.

"Elphie and I used to be in a play group as children. Before you were born, I'd say. I'm sure she'd remember me. I'm Boq, by the way." He said, holding out a hand. She took it, shaking gently.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Nessarose." As they continued on, she said, "I don't know that Fabala would remember you. When she wants to forget someone or something, she forgets it completely, to the point that she's got amensia concerning a certain subject. It's really rather funny, actually. She's so smart, yet she's really rather dumb about certain things- especially about love."

Boq raised his eyebrows.

"Really?" She nodded.

"Yes. She could have gone to Emerald University, but she chose Shiz instead. I guess because everyone in our family has gone to Shiz. But now, there's a chance that she could meet the Wizard, and so she's focused on her classes and being more adult." Nessa rolled her eyes, before realizing that she was just talking to fill the silence. "It's wonderful that she's got a chance to meet the Wizard, but there are times when I just want my older sister back."

He chuckled softly.

"That sounds like Elphie. She was always the overachiever- to the point that it drove the rest of us crazy. We could never do anything- coloring, playing tag- without her having to be better than us. But it was understandable, with her skintone and all." He sighed. "It kept her apart from the rest of us, but eventually we all got to like her for her skintone."

Nessarose nodded.

"Fabala's sensitive about her skin."

He sighed, reaching for the door to the cafeteria and holding it open as she entered before he followed.

"I always wondered how Elphie was doing. We didn't keep in touch. I wish we had. I missed her."

"She was okay. Mama died after I was born. Fabala took over as mother not long after. She's the only mother I've ever known. I don't know what I'd have done without Fabala."

Boq listened quietly as she described his childhood friend. They got lunch and found a table, sitting down to eat and get to know each other before their next class.

"What are you majoring in, Boq?" She asked, before taking a bite of her sandwich.

"Education. I'm working on getting my Phd. History." She nodded. "And you?"

"Um... I haven't decided on what I'm going to major in." She whispered, embarrassed. He chuckled.

"I was like that my first year. Couldn't make up my mind. When I took Dr. Dillamond's history class, I decided that I wanted to teach. He made history so interesting."

"I don't think I've ever heard of Dr. Dillamond."

"He... he died in my second year. They said he'd committed suicide, but we all think he was murdered." Nessarose shivered, and reached for her cup of hot tea.

"Did they ever catch who did it?" He shook his head.

"No. The police closed the case, listing it as 'suicide.' I'd believe it was a paint war sooner than I'd believe it was suicide."

"Did you and Fabala have him?"

"We were both in the same class, but we never spoke to each other. Elphie spent more time that year trying to avoid people than she did trying to make friends."

"Sounds like Fabala."

He nodded, and got up, dumping the scraps from their lunch. Then, he grabbed his book bag, slung it over his shoulder, and turned back to her.

"It was wonderful to meet you, Nessarose, but I've got to get going or I'll be late for class. We'll have to get together again some time." She nodded, smiling at him.

"Definately. And you can call me Nessa."


	3. August: Day One

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

She examined her reflection in the bathroom mirror again, for the tenth time.

The circles were _still_ there.

She sighed, reaching for her undereye cream, and dabbing a bit on the circles beneath her blue eyes.

It was her own fault, she'd stayed out all night partying, and then had snuck in around two that morning, careful not to wake that green bean roommate of hers. She'd slept through her first few classes, and having just gotten up before lunch, decied to make herself presentable so she could turn heads on the way to the cafeteria. Making an appearance was the least she could do, and someone as goodly as her wouldn't deprive the boys of seeing her.

Thank Oz that hideous bean pole of a roommate was out. She was probably going from class to class, taking notes and answering questions like people who wanted to learn did. It was disgusting. The fact that they were actually _required _to learn, made college a bore. She hadn't come to college for lectures and homework; she'd come to party and let loose. And maybe find a husband too.

Once she was done in the bathroom, she slipped into the dorm, grabbed her purse and left, locking the door behind her. Then, smoothing her white skirt, she walked down the hall, taking the stairs two at a time until she reached the bottom. Once outside, she left campus and wandered downtown, passing the Wilted Rose cafe as she headed down to the boutique she'd found the day before.

However, something made her stop and backtrack. When she did, she found her green roommate- Elhiaba or whatever her name was- sitting at a table talking with a gorgeous guy. Well, not gorgeous by _her _standards, but fairly nice looking. Auburn hair and tan skin, he was nice to look at, but never someone _she_ would go out with. Better to let Greenie have him. After all, that's what good people did. And she was very, _very _good.

They seemed to be deep in conversation about something, occasionally sipping their coffee or taking a bite of the cherry pie sitting on the table between them. In fact, she'd never seen Greenie so animated- as though she were actually... _enjoying _the conversation. And the company. Which was odd, considering the first year, she hadn't said two words to anyone, and now, here she was, talking excitedly with a stranger she didn't know.

Shaking her head, she continued on, leaving Greenie to her date and going on to her boutique. She slipped inside and after wandering around for several minutes, bought two scarves, a necklace and a pair of heels before leaving. She headed back towards Shiz, stopping at the cafe and watching her roommate. She had no idea what was so fascinating about her, since the skin was hideosous...

"Excuse me?" She turned, to see a guy standing in front of her.

"I'm sorry, what?"

He raised his eyebrows at her momentarily, before asking, "Are you going to go in? Because if you aren't, could you move?"

She stared at him, confused by what he was asking. He sighed, rolling his eyes at the blonde.

"If you aren't going in, could you move? I want to go in."

"Oh. In where?"

He held his tongue, and pointed to the cafe.

"The Wilted Rose. I'm planning on heading in, and you're blocking the entrance."

She turned to look into the restaurant, seeing her roommate again, before turning back to him.

"Oh. Sorry."

In two steps, she'd moved, allowing him to enter.

"Thank you." She nodded, watching as the door closed behind him. Without hesitating, she hurried after him, slipping inside and searching for him. She found him at her roommate's table, talking to the tan guy and her roommate. As she moved closer, she was able to hear their conversation.

"It's good to see you again, Avaric."

"You too, Yero. It's been too long."

"It's only been what? A year? You went to Emerald U-"

"Two years ago."

"You went to Emerald U?" Her roommate cut in. The guy nodded.

"Yeah. I just transferred from there."

"Why would you want to transfer here?" She asked, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

"Yero and I have been friends since childhood; he's my best friend. Besides, Emerald U was getting pretty boring, so I switched to Shiz."

"Really? You're friends?" Yero nodded.

"Both grew up in the Vinkus."

"Really? I've always wanted to go to the Vinkus. I hear it's fascinating." Greenie said, resting her chin on her laced hands.

"We'll have to take you there sometime, right Yero?" Avaric said, as his friend nodded.

Suddenly, not wanting to be excluded from the conversation, she cleared her throat, and all three turned towards her.

"Um... hi." She waved to them all, smiling, as Greenie rolled her eyes.

"Hey. Who's this?" Avaric asked.

"Avaric, Fiyero, this is my roommate, Glinda."

"Galinda."

"Sorry. _Ga_linda. Glinda, this is Fiyero and his friend Avaric." She nodded to them both, turning her white smile to Avaric.

"It's nice to meet you both."

Fiyero nodded and returned his attention to Greenie, who had forked another bite of the cherry pie between them. They picked up their conversation where they left off, focusing only on each other, leaving Avaric and Galinda to themselves. After a few moments, Avaric took a seat at a table across from them, and Galinda joined him.

"Your roommate seems to be very interested in Yero."

"Who? Oh Greenie?" Avaric stared at her funny.

"I think her name's... Elphaba."

"Oh. Right. I meant her."

He nodded.

"I think she'll be a good fit for Yero."

Galinda furrowed her brow.

"What do you mean?"

Tearing his gaze away from his friend, he met her eyes and said,

"I think Elphaba's a good match for Yero. He needs someone just as passionate as he is."

She nodded, slowly understanding, before smiling at him, which he returned.

"Oh."

_And you? Who will you need?_


	4. August: Day Two

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Thanks to lizziemagic for reviewing 1, 2 and 3.**

_August, Day Two_

He waited outside Crage, hoping to see her. They'd gotten along so well the day before, that he wanted to spend every moment he could getting to know her. Though they'd talked about which colleges were better, and finally both agreed that Emerald U outshined Shiz by two hundred years. In that one sitting, he'd found that they had so much in common.

He must have dozed off, because a hand on his shoulder and her voice forced his eyes open.

"I'm sorry, what?" He jumped, and met her eyes. She smiled at him, her eyes exposed due to her glasses being in her coat pocket.

"You okay?" She asked, burrying her hands in her pockets.

"Yeah, I... I'm fine." She nodded, watching him, before turning and starting up the path. After a few moments, she looked back.

"You coming?"

"Yeah." He hurried to catch up, before falling into step with her. They walked to class, making small talk even as they entered class and took their seats.

"So what were you doing outside Crage that early in the morning?" She asked, tossing her braid over her shoulder. He shrugged, meeting her eyes.

"I figured I'd walk you to class." She smiled at him.

"Really?" He nodded. "Well I'm glad you did." Before he could say anything, class started, and he found himself trying to focus on lecture, but instead, focusing on her. Every so often, she'd glance at him, and smile before returning her attention to the lecture. He couldn't focus, not on class anyway, and spent the hour in the classroom watching her, noting the way she placed the eraser of her pencil gently between her teeth, the way her eyebrows raised whenever a major point was made, the way she shook her head slightly every so often, as if clearing her head.

When class ended, and they all left, he reached for her books. She stared at him for a moment, before slowly handing them over. They left the classroom, making their way across campus, past the cafeteria, and to the Wilted Rose. They wandered along at a leisurely pace, enjoying the autumn air as it filled their lungs and caressed their faces. Once they made it to the Wilted Rose, they slipped inside and settled at the table they'd been at the day before. After ordering coffee, they sat in silence, each thinking of something to say to the other.

"I couldn't focus today." He finally admitted, leaning back and watching her. She cocked her head, a small smile spreading over her pretty face.

"Really?" He nodded. "I wonder why?"

He sighed. "I don't know. I guess... I was distracted by the beauty sitting next to me." He said, leaning forward and crossing his arms on the table.

"_Really_?" She asked, before leaning forward and mimicking his posture. He nodded. "What did she look like?"

"Well, she has this... long, lush raven hair, that's pulled back in a braid." He examined her for a moment, before continuing. "And... she has these beautiful violet eyes that see straight into your soul... but what gets me the most, is her skin. It's this... beautiful, beautiful harlequin green." He said, reaching out and taking her hand. Then, he brought her knuckles to lips and gently kissed them. A soft giggle escaped her lips, and she blushed.

"Yero-"

It was then that their coffee arrived. Gently, he released her hand, and the two settled down, sipping their coffee and talking softly. They ordered a piece of cherry pie and split it, discussing everything under the sun that they hadn't discussed the day before. He found that he could talk with her easily, that she understood, and he didn't have to dumb himself down to be understood; she was on the same level as he was.

Eventually, the door opened, the bell announcing another arrival, and they looked up, to see Avaric coming towards them. They moved over to make room, and soon the three settled into a comfortable conversation over coffee and pie. She interrupted him once, asking for the full extent of Avaric and Fiyero' relationship.

"We grew up in the Vinkus together. Avaric was my... constant companion, my best friend. We've thought of each other as brothers, and when we went to seperate colleges, we promised to keep in touch. And we had. Until someone decided that he needed to transfer to Shiz in order to keep watch over me." Fiyero said, giving Avaric a pointed look. The subject in question chuckled softly.

"Hey, be grateful I decided to transfer. Oz knows what kind of trouble you've gotten into while I've been at Emerald U."

Elphaba rolled her eyes at the gentle banter between the men, the friendship they held for each other evident.

"I've been meaning to ask," He turned to Elphaba. "The blonde was your roommate, right?" She nodded, sipping her coffee.

"Yes, that's _Ga_-linda." She said, rolling her eyes. "Why is she of any interest to you? She's nothing but superficial and bitchy."

Avaric shrugged.

"Just curious, is all."

Elphaba rolled her eyes.

"Right. You've got to be seriously deranged to be curious about that bitch."

Fiyero chuckled.

"I take it you don't like her."

She turned to him.

"Define 'like.'" The men shared a look. "And for your information, no. I'm sharing a dorm with a superficial, spoiled, self-centered-"

"Speak of the devil." Elphaba turned at Avaric's words, to see Galinda enter.

She rolled her eyes.

"Great."


	5. August: Day Two, Part Two

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: I had this chapter written, but had no idea why I wasn't getting reviews...**

_August, Day Two_

She looked around slowly, searching. Finally, her eyes landed on Greenie and her boyfriend. The two were talking...

With_ him_.

Estatic that she'd found who she was searching for, she fluffed her hair and smoothed her skirt, before making her way towards the trio. For their part, they watched her, each with a different expression on their faces. Greenie was watching her with a look of disgust, while her boyfriend had a less than amused expression on. As for their friend, he was watching her with a mix of interest and boredom. When she reached the table, Greenie t urned back around, sipping her coffee.

"Hey. Mind if I join you?"

"Yes."

"No."

She waited, as the two conflicting answers- yes from Greenie and her boyfriend, and no from their friend- clashed in the open air. After several moments of silent conversation, Greenie grabbed her things, pulled up a chair from an adjacent table, and took a seat next to her friend, vacating her old seat for Galinda. She smiled at the green woman, before daintily taking a seat, after all, that's what _good_ people did when given a seat, and she was very good. The other two watched her momentarily, before turning back to their convesation, while she and the third member of their party watched each other.

Eventually, she asked,

"So, Greenie-"

"Elphaba."

"What?"

Her roommate slowly turned to look at her.

"My name's Elphaba, you over inflated creampuff." She started, before nodding.

"Oh. Well, Elpiaba-"

"Elphaba. And if you aren't going to get it right, then don't talk to me." Then, she gathered her things, and stood. "Sorry about this, Avaric, but I've got to get back. I've got class in half an hour."

"I'll go with you." And with a wave goodbye, the two left. They watched through the window as they took hands and continued down the street towards Shiz. Once they were gone, she turned to Avaric.

"Sorry about my roommate. She's a real bitch." Avaric shook his head.

"No, actually, I think the bitch is you." She started, surprised.

"What?"

"I've noticed how you treat other students on campus. You treat them like the dirt beneath your feet. You think you're better than everyone else, because you're from the Pertha Hills. Well I've got news for you, sweetheart. You're not any better than anyone else, you're just like everyone else, no matter how many airs you put on or how you act. That 'I'm so good' act isn't fooling anyone. Least of all me." Then, he stood and left, leaving her in the cafe.

It took several minutes for everything to sink in, but once it did, she rushed after him, wanting to explain how everyone else was wrong and she was right. When she was finally able to catch up to him, she grabbed ahold of his arm and forced him to stop.

"What?"

"Look, I don't know what she told you, but I'm not a bitch. I'm not like that-"

"What about your roommate?"

She started. "Greenie?"

"Elphaba." He said through clenched teeth.

"Oh, right, her. Well, I treat her nice." Avaric rolled his eyes and pushed past her.

"You don't know the meaning of the word 'good.' So before you trying making friends, I suggest you look it up." Then, he continued on, leaving her in the street.

She tried for several minutes to gather her pride, and then hurried back to Shiz, hoping to find Avaric and convince him that she was the good person she claimed to be. Once she got to campus, she hid out in the cafeteria, skipping her next class, and watching the other students out on lunch.

It took her a while, but she finally came up with a good story to tell Avaric. Since Greenie- er, Elphaba, she'd have to get used to the name change- was probably in her next class with her boyfriend, she'd have to content herself with lesser persons until she got _out_ of class. But seeing as everyone was below her, she'd have to accept it and move on. She kept her eyes on the doors, and after not seeing Avaric, finally settled on a young girl in a wheelchair.

As she got closer, Galinda realized she looked... familiar. But why?

Suddenly, she stood, and hurried to the girl, blocking her path.

"I know you, don't I?" The girl blushed.

"E... Everyone says that." She replied, looking down at her lunch before looking back at Galinda. After several moments, Galinda realized where she'd seen her.

"You're Gre- I mean, Elphaba's sister."

The girl gave her an odd look, but nodded.

"Yeah. Elphaba's my older sister. I'm Nessarose." She smiled at the blonde, before reaching out to shake hands. Galinda nodded, following Nessarose to the table she'd abandoned, and taking a seat. After a moment, she excused herself and got lunch, returning to the table moments later with a sandwich.

"So, what are you majoring in?"

Nessa bit her lip, a trait that her sister shared.

"I don't know."

"I'm majoring in fashion design."

"Oh, that's nice... Fabala's going to... double major in sorcery and dance."

"Really?" Nessarose nodded. "Why?"

"Well," The younger girl bit her lip, unsure if she should tell her. After a moment, she decided against it, and said, "Fabala's always been interested in sorcery, and she's danced her entire life. So it was kind of a given that that's what she'd major in in college. As for me, I have no idea. And I don't think I'll ever know." Galinda nodded. They sat there for two hours, talking and getting to know each other, when Elphaba and Fiyero entered. The green girl made a beeline for her baby sister, dragging Fiyero behind her.

"There you are, Nessa. I've been looking all over for you."

"Oh, hi, Fabala." The younger girl smiled at her sister over her sandwich. Then, her eyes turned to the young man beside her. "Who-"

"Oh, Nessa, this is Fiyero. Yero, this is my sister, Nessarose."

He reached out to shake hands. Once pleasantries were exchanged, Elphaba turned back to her sister.

"I'm sorry I forgot about lunch yesterday Nessie. I got... preoccupied."

"That's okay, Fabala. Can we get together tomorrow?"

Elphaba bit her lip.

"Actually, Nessa, tomorrow won't be good. I have a prior engagement. But I'm free Friday. Would that work?" Nessa thought a moment, before nodding. "Good." It was then that she noticed Galinda. "Oh. It's you. Hello." After the two made idle conversation, Elphaba turned, and took Fiyero's hand. "I'd love to stay and chat, but I've got to get going. I'll see you later, Nessie." Then she tugged Fiyero out of the cafeteria.

"Bye Fabala."

Once they were gone, Galinda said,

"Your sister isn't exactly trusting, is she?"

Nessa turned back to her.

"No, she's trusting. She just doesn't trust you."


	6. August: Day Three

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Thanks to FabalaTiggular for reviewing 5.**

_August, Day Three_

Boq looked up from his book the next morning, to see Nessa hurrying to class. After a moment, he put his book away and rushed to catch up with her.

"Hey."

"Oh hi!" She cried, excited to see him. "I didn't see you yesterday. How are you?"

He shrugged. "I'm doing good. I started an internship here at Shiz, so that's why I wasn't around yesterday. I was working on that all day, and unfortunately, I'll be working on that today as well, after my first two classes. So it looks like you'll be having lunch by yourself today." She shrugged, unaffected.

"Better alone than with Galinda."

"Galinda?" His mind ran through all Galinda's he knew, before coming up with, "Elphie's roommate?"

Nessa nodded.

"Yeah. Her. I don't like her. She's a bitch."

"She's always a bitch. It's in her nature. She doesn't have a nice bone in her body." Boq replied, as they moved along the path. Both had classes on the second floor, and it was nice to have someone to walk with on the cool autumn days. Boq had plenty of friends- Elphie being one of his closest, even though she played amnesia whenever he was near- but there were days when he wanted to keep to himself. However, today wasn't one of them.

"So how's Elphie doing?" He asked, as they took the elevator to the second floor. "I saw her yesterday before my first class, and when I called out to her, she acted like a frightened cat, screeched, then turned and fled in the opposite direction. Is she all right?"

Nessa rolled her eyes at her sister's reaction.

"That... sounds like Fabala."

Boq chuckled softly.

"I take it she always reacts that way whenever anyone says hello?" Boq asked, meeting Nessa's eyes. The younger girl shook her head.

"No. Normally, she reacts witha glare- and I say normally. The screeching is just reserved for... special people." He nodded, laughing silently at his old friend's antics. When the elevator opened, and they got out, they moved down the hall towards Nessa's class. "Well, it was nice to see you again, Nessa. I wish we could have lunch today, but unfortunately-"

"It's all right, Boq. Thank you for telling me, though." She said softly, before entering the classroom. Once she was gone, he headed down the hall in the opposite direction, towards his own class. He spent the first two classes taking notes and sitting through lecture, and then hurried down to the Education Department to start his second day of internship. However, he spent most of the time thinking about the Thropp sisters, and how two girls, so alike, could be so different.

Nessa, while she may have the pale skin her sister so longed for, she didn't possess the calm confidence or mysterious beauty Elphaba did. She was safe, untouched by the world and its true hardships. She was a sweet girl, she really was, but she wasn't someone he could imagine himself with for the rest of his life. She was like his little sister Denaa, always curious about everything going on, but afraid to go out and explore for fear of getting into trouble.

And Elphaba... the girl was a sister to him, albeit a strange sister, but still a sister, and she had the quirks of a mentally ill family member, but could be forgiven her faults. As for how Elphaba would precieve him helping out her baby sister, well, maybe he'd better keep that under wraps until he was certain he and Elphaba could get along. After all, Elphaba's bite was usually worse than her bark, and he wasn't in the mood for getting rabies shots after confronting her.

He loved Elphaba, he did, and they'd been exceedingly close as children, even going so far as to handcuff themselves together one afternoon out of sheer boredom, and then realizing how much they hated always being around each other for a whole afternoon. Their friendship had fractured as they got older, and eventually, they'd lost contact, barely seeing each other; only to meet again at Shiz, and then, Elphaba had refused to acknowledge that they were friends.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts.

The Thropp girls were _definately_ a strange breed...

As he started working on his internship, he thought back to when he'd first met Elphaba. It was before Nessa was born, and Elphaba had seemed to almost flaunt her status as the only daughter of the Govenor. Then when Nessa came along, Elphaba almost seemed to... resent her. She was almost... jealous. Well, he knew about that, he'd been jealous when Denaa was born, so it was normal for Elphaba to feel jealous when Nessa was born...

The question however, turned to was she jealous now? Or just plain ignorant?

No, Boq decided, Elphaba was smart, prideful, but not ignorant. The ignorant one was her roommate- Galinda.

That girl he would never understand, nor accept, no matter how 'good' she tried to portray herself. As far as Boq- and everyone else in his and Elphie's small circle- were concerned, Galinda could pack up and return to the Pertha Hills, where she belonged. She didn't belong at Shiz, she wasn't wanted, it was clear. A rich girl from the Pertha Hills, who expected everyone to bow down to her because she was supposedly 'beautiful', wasn't going to survive here at Shiz. The fact that they hadn't sent her home screaming for her mother two years earlier was a shock in and of itself.

He chuckled softly.

That just meant they'd have to try harder.


	7. August: Day Three, Part Two

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Thanks to jnjluvsbooks32 for reviewing 6 and to lizziemagic for reviewing 4, 5 and 6.**

_August, Day Three_

"Tired?"

Avaric looked up to see Fiyero and his friend standing across from him in the Wilted Rose. He nodded, hiding his yawn. His childhood friend chuckled before taking a seat across from him. Once he was seated, she settled into his lap.

"Elphaba!"

He couldn't help the laughter that escaped his throat at the sight of Fiyero with a woman in his lap. His friend had always been the gentleman, the stark contrast to him being the party animal; Fiyero preferred the quiet company of books to the company of the female sex. So that's what made this moment so funny- the look on his friend's face was priceless, if only he had a camera.

Meanwhile, she didn't say anything, just took his face in her hands and after staring into his eyes for a moment, kissed him deeply for several minutes. When they broke apart, she climbed out of his lap, whispering,

"I'm going to go get a cup of coffee. I'll be right back." He nodded, before she left, leaving the two men alone. Once she was gone, Fiyero turned back to Avaric.

"So, how are things going with you?"

"Good. And... things seem to be going real well between you and Elphaba." Avaric said, taking a sip of his drink. Fiyero sighed.

"Yeah. I think... I think Elphaba's the one. I really do." Fiyero replied, straightening as returned to the table, a cup in her hands. She curled into his lap, and took a sip of her drink, before holding it out to him. After a moment, he took it, taking a sip. Then, he handed it back to her and returned to the conversation.

"So have you had any more contact with that Galinda?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "That spoiled creampuff. She needs to go back to the Pertha Hills where she belongs." Fiyero chuckled softly at her muttered response, and gently patted her hip.

"She tried to tell me yesterday that everyone else was wrong, and that she was just a victim."

"Did you buy it?" Fiyero asked, gently taking Elphaba's cup from her hands and taking a sip. Avaric shook his head.

"Come on, Yero, how stupid do you think I am?" His friend raised an eyebrow.

"I know that when a beautiful woman is around, your IQ drops twenty points." Elphaba giggled softly, before taking a sip of her coffee.

"Is that what happened when you met me?" She asked, handing Fiyero the cup.

"Of course, but I know you belong to Yero, so don't worry, I won't do anything." Avaric replied, watching as Elphaba's eyes widened.

"I don't belong to anyone!" She cried, before blushing. "Okay, maybe Yero." She giggled again, and Avaric couldn't help the laugh that escaped him as he watched Elphaba. It was obvious that she was lovestruck, that much was certain.

And so, it seemed, was Fiyero.

From the look in their eyes, and it was evident that both had fallen in love, and fallen hard and fast. They were in the honeymoon phase of love; everything was new and exciting, their love was an adventure, and he hated to be there when the honeymoon ended and reality kicked in. Because then, he was certain, both Fiyero and Elphaba would be crushed. But even now, Avaric knew they were perfect for each other, and he hoped they would stay together long enough to make it to a wedding.

Eventually, Elphaba climbed off Fiyero's lap and pulled him to his feet.

"Sorry to cut this short, Avaric, but I've got dance and I can't be late." She turned to Fiyero. "Walk me to class?" He nodded, kissing her gently. When they broke apart, Fiyero turned to his old friend.

"Why don't you come with us, Av. Who knows, maybe you'll run into Galinda and be able to give her another piece of your mind." Elphaba rolled her eyes, and once he agreed, the three left the cafe, heading back to Shiz. Elphaba slipped her hand into Fiyero's as they walked, and listened quietly as the guys started a conversation, only adding her input when she wanted to. When they got back to Shiz, Elphaba led them to the dance studio, slipping inside and pulling the guys with her. Once inside, she turned to them.

"Well, I have to get ready, otherwise Madame Kestar will have my head." Then, she wrapped her arms around Fiyero's neck. "I'll see you after?"

"Of course." He kissed her gently, and then she pulled away, waving goodbye to Avaric before joining her friends. When the guys left, Avaric asked,

"Aren't you worried that this honeymoon will end?" Fiyero shook his head.

"No. Because it's not just a honeymoon phase. We're in love. And we'll always be in love."

"You've only known her, what? Two days?"

Fiyero shrugged. "So? I love her. We've gotten to know each other, and she's... she's the person I can imagine spending the rest of my life with, Av."

"Without a doubt, Yero? Because I don't want to see you get hurt-"

"I'm sure Av. I'm positive. Absolutely positive." Avaric sighed, letting his friend's words sink in.

"You're sure? Because, Yero, you're my best friend. If you get hurt-"

"I know you're my best friend, Av. We've been friends since we were kids. And yes, I'm positive. Elphaba won't hurt me. And I won't hurt her. We're both looking for love, and we've found it. And I know we've only known each other a couple days, but I feel like I've known her my entire life. I'll be fine. Now will you quit worrying?" He asked, clapping him on the back as he headed to class. Avaric watched, before shaking his head and heading to the cafeteria.


	8. August: Day Three, Part Three

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

_August, Day Three_

Galinda looked up to see Avaric enter the cafeteria. Quickly, she fluffed her hair and smoothed her blouse before climbing to her feet and making her way towards him. This was her chance to prove to him that she was who she said she was, to prove that she was perfect, and that so was he, and that they deserved to be together.

"Avaric!" He looked up from the coffee he was pouring. "How are you?"

He shrugged, capped his cup, and then went to the register. "I'm fine. And you?"

"Oh, I'm doing great... so, what have you been up too?"

"I just got done with a conversation with Yero."

"Oh. How's he doing?"

Avaric raised an eyebrow and looked at her strangely. "He's doing fine. And so is Elphaba."

"Who? Oh, right, Gre- I'm mean- my roommate." She smiled at him, and after paying, he moved past her and went to the door. Not wanting to lose her chance, she followed, keeping the smile on her face. "Is she okay?"

"Yeah, she's fine." Avaric said, looking at her before continuing on. Galinda stopped and watched him walk off, before hurrying to catch up.

"Wait up! A... Avaric! Wait up! Avaric! Can we talk?"

_"What is it?" _He snapped, turning on her. She skidded to a stop in front of him.

"I... I want to talk." Sighing, he sat down on a nearby bench and motioned for her to begin.

"Fine. Talk. You have the floor." She nodded, unsure of how to begin. After a moment, she went to him, slowly sitting next to him.

"Avaric, I want you to know that I really, really like you. And that it's not my fault that I've been acting like a bitch. The other students like Fiyero and Elphaba and Nessarose don't like me. I think they want to see me head home-"

"And why shouldn't you?"

"What?" The question caught her off gaurd.

"Why shouldn't you go back to the Pertha Hills? It's where you belong."

"But... but..."

Silent, Avaric stood, and turned back to her.

"You don't belong here, Galinda. You're not the type of person that would benefit from Shiz. You're better off returning to the Pertha Hills. After all, that's the only thing you care about, your beauty- and even that's not true. You're beauty's manufactured, it's not real. Not like Elphaba's, or Nessa's, or any of the other girls here. So why don't you return home, where you belong? We'd all be better off."

And then he left, making his way to his next class, leaving Galinda sitting on the bench shocked beyond words. She sat there for several minutes, Avaric's words going around in her head like a dancer on Pointe, and eventually, two words sank in.

You _don't belong_.

Don't. Belong.

Come to think of it, Avaric was right. She didn't belong. She stuck out like a sore thumb, a blonde among brunettes and ravenheads, alabaster skin among the tones of fresh baked bread and various other shades of brown. Ice blue eyes among eyes of violet, hazel, and green. She didn't fit in, had nothing in common with other students, and didn't get along with her roommate.

So why not return to the Pertha Hills?

Avaric said it himself, they'd all be better off.

Sighing, she got up, leaving the bench and making her away to Crage Hall. As she trudged up the stairs to her dorm on the second floor, she tried to think of how she could become more like the other students. She could actually pay attention in class. Or better yet, to start, she could actually _go_ to class.

That could work.

As she slid her key into the lock and turned she decided that she'd start now on becoming a better person, a person who fit in at Shiz, and who Avaric would actually go out with. Once inside, she shut the door softly behind her, and surveyed the room. Clothes covered her side of the room, while her roommate's side was pristine and spotless. Sighing, she set her purse down and went to pick up the clothing, eventually going back to the closet with a pile, which she then proceeded to hang up. Once done, she put her shoes and hats away, and then worked on her desk, arranging everything to be nice and clear. Then, she made her bed and sat down on it.

Suddenly, she'd run out of things to do. Biting her lip, she turned to look at her roommate's side of the dorm, and slowly climbed to her feet. Checking to make sure the door was closed, she went to her roommate's closet, and opened the door. The dorm was equipped with two walk-in closets and a master bath, since Crage had orginally been a hotel, with suites on all floors.

As she stepped into the closet, she saw that her roommate's clothes were hung in order of length, her jeans were kept in baskets on the top shelves along with baskets that held her skirts, and her shoes were kept in hanging shoe oraganizers. Her scarves were hung on hooks, the loops holding them up, and her gloves were piled neatly in a basket on the floor. Her hats, which were few, hung on hooks as well, and Galinda noticed they were by color.

The closet contained mainly dark colors- deep violets and midnight blues, blacks, dark greens, and a few browns as well as the occasional grey.

Her roommate was the poster child for organization, that much was true.

Hands on her hips, she decided to take a tip from Elphaba's play book, and start there- on her own closet.


	9. August: Day Four

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: Vinkun is the Ozian equivelant of Latin, and Gillikin is the equivelant of Folk dance. **

**Question: when is the honeymoon gonna end, or are they really meant to be?**

**Answer: you'll have to read and see**

**Thanks to jnjluvsbooks32 for reviewing 7.**

_August, Day Four_

The next afternoon, when Elphaba returned from her dance classes, she found something that nearly gave her a heart attack.

Her roommate's side of the dorm was clean.

_Clean._

_Actually, truly clean._

Her mouth dropped, and she stared at the spotless floor, the made bed, and the neat desk. Slowly, she went to her roommate's closet, pushing the door open, checking to make sure she wasn't hiding in wait to scare her, and when she poked her head in, she found the clothes hung in order of length, much like her own clothes in her closet. The shoes were lined up along the floor, in order of height- heel to flats- and her hats, scarves, and gloves were folded and placed neatly in a basket on the top shelf.

When a search of the closet brought back no results, Elphaba went to her bed, tossed her dance bag on spread, and made her way to her own closet. Quickly pushing the door open, she turned the light on and stuck her head in, but again, turned up no blonde creampuff. Her own clothes were pristine, spotless, and in the exact places she'd left them in that morning after getting dressed. Not a shoe or blouse were out of place.

Feeling uneasy, she returned to her bed and opened her dance bag, pulling out her Pointe shoes. Slipping out of her flats, she pulled her slippers on and quickly tied the pale, tattered ribbons around her ankles, before getting up and going to the middle of the hardwood floor. She ran through a series of exercises, before finally, slowly, raising onto her toes. She focused on her balance, before doing several pirouettes, keeping her focus on the fireplace mantel. She got through ten pirouettes, before the door opened, causing her head to snap to the side and lose her spot. She did one final spin, before landing on the floor with a squeak, and that was how Galinda found her, in a heap of black warmups and pale pink toe shoes on the floor.

"Hi. Oh, are you okay?"

Elphaba looked up, to see the blonde standing over her, and her mouth dropped for the second time in an hour and a half. And with good reason, too.

Standing in front of her, was Galinda, but not the blonde she'd shared a room with for the last two years. While it was the same girl, she'd died her hair a light chestnut brown. But now that she looked at it, it wasn't even chestnut like Nessa's but a light caramel, almost beige color. At first, Elphaba didn't know what to make of it, and just sat there stunned. When she was finally able to get over her shock, she stood, never taking her eyes off the blonde she so despised.

"Yeah... I' m fine. Are... Are _you_?" She asked. Galinda nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

Elphaba bit her lip. "Well... you know what? Never mind."

Galinda watched as her roommate went to her bed, and untied the ribbons around her ankles before putting them back in her bag. The girl seemed wrapped up in her own thoughts, and after a few tense moments, Galinda went to her.

"You dance?" Slowly, Elphaba looked up from her usual ritual, and stared at Galinda as though she had just noticed her. After a moment, Elphaba nodded. "What kind?" The question caught the girl off guard, and she had to think before she spoke.

"Um... Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Modern, Hip-Hop, Lyrical, and Pointe." She said, showing her the toe shoes to indicate the last one. "I... also do Ballroom, Vinkun, Swing, Belly and Gillikin. _Why?" _Elphaba asked, having finished listing off the different dances she was skilled in.

She gave Galinda a weary once over, before returning to her ritual. Once everything was put away, she pulled out a tube, pushed her dance bag aside, pulled her put up onto the bed, and opened the tube, putting a bit of the cream into her hand. At first, Galinda thought it was a hand lotion, but then she watched as Elphaba began rubbing the cream on her feet, and realized that it was a foot cream.

As her long, slender fingers ran over the skin of her feet, Galinda saw the cracks on her heels, the blisters on the balls of her feet, and the cuts on her toes. Her feet looked like they'd been run through a meat grinder, and Galinda couldn't help wincing whenever her hands ran over the cuts and other leisons. She'd heard about dancer's feet, about the hell they put their feet through, and when her mother had enrolled her in ballet classes as a child, she'd put up a fight.

She remembered watching the older girls in the class after her, watching as they wrapped their feet in bangages and ice, noticing the cuts and bruises on their feet from the Pointe shoes they wore. She remembered how several girls had hammer toes- toes that were so deformed from Pointe dancing, they looked like small hammers. She remembered seeing the girls nursing bloodied and bleeding feet after class; feet that looked bound, like the ancient Glikkus used to do to their daughters. She remembered seeing one girl land wrong on her toe shoes, and as a result, break her foot, and end her dancing career at the age of sixteen. Even now, she shivered in fear, and wondered why anyone- least of all her roommate- would want to put themselves through that hell.

"Um..."

Elphaba's head snapped up, and she locked eyes with Galinda. She waited, and when the girl didn't say anything else, returned to her feet. The other girl sat on her bed, staring at her roommate, unable to take her eyes away from the girl's feet.

"Do... do you like dance?"

Elphaba didn't respond for a moment, but when she did, she didn't look up, instead working cream over her other foot.

"I've danced my entire life. Mom said I was a dancer before I could walk. She said I began to sing long before I could talk. I guess it's in my blood. It always will be, I come by it naturally. Why?"

"Ju.. just curious." Galinda whispered, watching her roommmate, as Nessa's words from two days ago came rushing back.

_She's danced her entire life._


	10. August: Day Four, Part Two

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

_August, Day Four_

Slowly, Nessa moved down the hall, carefully watching the numbers on the doors. When she finally found her sister's dorm, she knocked once, and waited. After knocking again, the door opened, and Nessa started, to see Galinda in the doorway. But what startled her even more, was to see that Galinda had _caramel colored_ hair.

"Oh, hi Nessarose."

"H... hi, Galinda. Um... I... I was wondering if... if Fa... Fabala was here?"

Galinda nodded, moving out of the way so she could enter. Looking around, Nessa found her sister sitting on her bed, going through the familiar ritual Nessa had seen her partake in since they were children. Biting her lip, she wheeled herself to her sister.

"Fabala?"

The older girl looked up, relaxing when she saw her sister.

"Hey Nessa. What are you doing here?"

"Um... I... I just wanted to see you. How are you?"

"I'm doing good." Elphaba replied, as she wrapped her foot. Once it was wrapped, she pulled out another bandage and wrapped her other foot, before pulling on a pair of dark grey legwarmers and slipping into her flats.

"How was dance?" Nessa asked, reaching for the dance bag. Elphaba handed her sister the bag, and took a sip from her water bottle. After rummaging around inside, Nessa pulled out a small makeup case, unzipped it, and pulled out a small thing of Burt's Beeswax, which she then quickly used to cover her lips before placing it back in the case. Nessa felt Galinda's eyes on them; she knew that Galinda was noticing how Elphaba didn't get mad at her for using her chapstick. Then again, maybe it was_ because _they were sisters, that she didn't get mad, which was what Nessa had always thought.

Nessa knew she and Elphaba shared a lot of the traits that other siblings shared- from easy conversation to sharing each other's things. She knew that Galinda had probably always wondered what it'd be like to have a sibling, and wasn't about dropping the fact that she and Elphaba could lord it over her. Handing the bag back, Nessa asked, "Did you have lunch with Fiyero today?" Elphaba nodded, rubbing lotion into her hands, which were red from the cold of the dance studio. She pulled on a pair of matching grey arm warmers and then tied her long black hair back in a loose bun. She wrinkled her nose briefly, before pulling on her dark green button up sweater.

"We went out to lunch."

"The Wilted Rose?" Her sister nodded, and then stood. Nessa noted the dark black tights she pulled on before wrapping her feet; the spaghetti strap black dress that went to her mid thigh, and the loose green sweater that was falling off her shoulder, that had once belonged to their mother. Like Elphaba after her, their mother, Melena had been a dancer.

Nessa barely remembered her; Elphaba had more memory of their mother, while Nessa and Shell didn't. Melena, the daughter of a socialite, had grown up in the lap of luxury, but abandoned it all to pursue a career in dance, like Elphaba was now. A beauty with thick, shiny raven hair, and deep violet eyes, she resembled Elphaba in every way, except for skin. She'd met Frex one night after a show, the two had fallen in love, and the rest was history. Well, not history exactly.

From what Elphaba was able to find out, Melena had had an affair with an old college friend not long after she married Frex- and Elphaba was the result. Apparently, Melena doted on Elphaba, absolutely adored her, and hadn't thought of having any other children, when she got pregnant with Nessa by the same man- three years later. Shell was the only one that was _actually _Frex's child.

While Nessa was loved by Melena, Elphaba was considered Melena's little pet, considering the strong bond they shared concerning dance. Since Nessa was unable to walk, she'd often sat by and watched her sister achieve, going from a little ballerina to a skilled Pointe dancer by age fourteen. She loved her sister, and perhaps the knowlege that they shared the same paternity was major reason for that bond, but Nessa had to admit to herself that she was slightly jealous of Elphaba. She was jealous of the fact that Elphaba could dance, while Nessa couldn't walk; she was jealous of her sister's natural talent for singing, but most of all, she was jealous of the time Elphaba had spent with Melena.

When Melena left, Elphaba was six, and Nessa three, Shell had only been about a year old; she'd promised to come back for them, but had forgotten for years. When she did come back, Elphaba was fourteen, Nessa eleven, and Shell ten. Over time, Elphaba had forgiven her mother, but Nessa, had refused. She hated her mother for leaving them and forgetting them, hated her for ignoring them, hated her for trying to make it up to them by being there now. They saw her every so often on holidays and weekends, and since her sister had declared a major in dance, she'd spent more time with Melena, while Nessa had spent less time with her.

"Yeah, we split a sandwich today. We're still on for tomorrow, right, Ness?" Elphaba asked, brushing her bangs out of her eyes.

"Of course." Nessa replied, trying hard to hide the shock that her sister could remind her of their mother with a simple change of clothes and a dancer's accessories. She blinked back the tears, and smiled at her.

"You okay, Nessie?" Elphaba asked softly. She nodded, taking a deep breath.

"Yeah, I'm okay. You... you just... remind me of Mama." She whispered. Slowly, Elphaba wrapped her sister in a hug.

"I'm sorry, Nessie."

"It's okay Fabala, it just shocked me is all." She said, wiping her eyes. After a moment, Elphaba rubbed her arm before standing and slinging her dance bag over her shoulder.

"Listen, I have Jazz at six, but I have some time, do you want to go for coffee, Nessie?" She nodded. "Okay. Come on."

And without a backward glance to Galinda, Elphaba led Nessa out of the dorm and onto campus.


	11. August: Day Four, Part Three

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

_August, Day Four_

"Wait a minute, you told Galinda to go back to the Pertha Hills?"

Avaric nodded, as the woman at the register handed him his change. Once they left the small cafe on campus, he and Fiyero meandered across the green, as Avaric told him and Boq about what he'd said to Galinda.

"About time someone spoke up. I'm just a little upset that it was the transfer that did it." Boq muttered. Interning had been cut short today, due to a faculty meeting. Fiyero chuckled.

"Do you think she finally got the hint that no one wants her here?" Fiyero asked, glancing behind him, before returning to the conversation.

"I don't know. Maybe. But-"

"Are you sure you have time, Fabala, because I don't want to make you late." The three looked back, to see Elphaba and Nessa following behind, caught up in their own conversation.

"I'm sure Nessie. It'll be fine. Detia won't mind if I'm a few minutes late, I'm at the top of the class. Now would you quit worrying?" As the girls got closer, the guys noticed that Elphaba was dressed like a dancer- in black tights, a spaghetti strap dress, leg and arm warmers, and a ratty old button up, dark green sweater. Her hair was pulled back in a loose bun, and she carried her dance bag. The boys also noticed that her feet were in flats, and wrapped.

"Hey Elphie."

Elphaba stopped, locked eyes with Boq, and opened her mouth to screech and run, when Nessa grabbed the back of her sweater, holding her in place. He couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him.

"Nice to see you too, Elphie."

Finally giving up on any chance of getting free, Elphaba deflated, tossed her bangs, and glared at him.

"I'm sorry sir, but I don't know you." She replied.

"Fabala!" Nessa reprimanded, rolling her eyes. Then, she turned to the guys. "Hi Boq. Hi Fiyero." They nodded to her. "Who's-"

"Avaric. I'm Fiyero's friend."

"Nice to meet you." Once pleasantries were exchanged, the small group settled into uneasy silence, as they sipped their coffee, the wind swirling around them.

"So, where are you headed, Elphaba?" Avaric asked, meeting her eyes. She swallowed her sip before replying.

"Jazz."

"You dance?" She nodded.

"I always knew you were the artistic type, Elphie." Boq said. She turned to him.

"Do I know you?" He rolled his eyes.

"Elphie, I said I was sorry."

"And yet you still did it anyway!"

"It was _your_ suggestion! Besides, it was sixteen years ago!"

"That still doesn't excuse it!"

The others watched and listened, startled by the way the conversation was going.

"Okay, _please_ tell me you _aren't_ talking about what I_ think_ you're talking about." Avaric said, butting in. Elphaba rolled her eyes and turned to him.

"Boq handcuffed he and I together once when we were three. He then lost the key." She stated, punctuating her statement with a sip of her coffee.

"That's what you're so upset about?" Avaric asked.

"I didn't want to be handcuffed with him _all day_! Do you know how _awkward it is to go to the bathroom with someone else in the stall with you?" _She cried.

"I apologized! Let it go!" Boq replied, shrugging his shoulders. Fiyero couldn't help laughing.

"I'm sorry, but do you hear yourselves?" They looked at each other, before blushing. Eventually, the banter died down, and the group settled into a comfortable silence. Eventually, Nessa brought up the one subject they could all agree on.

"Have you seen Galinda yet?"

The guys shook their heads.

"No."

"Why?"

"What happened to her? Did she get run over or something?"

Nessa shook her head.

"No. She's a brunette."

_"What?"_

"She dyed her hair _caramel brown_. I didn't believe it when I first saw it."

"It doesn't make her any prettier. In fact, I think it makes her uglier now." Elphaba said.

"I wonder what prompted her to dye her hair." Boq added.

"Maybe she wants to give her parents a heart attack when she returns to the Pertha Hills." Avaric said.

"She nearly gave me one." Elphaba said, sipping her coffee.

"Does she think she actually looks _good_ with her hair that color?" Nessa asked. The others shrugged.

"She must, otherwise she wouldn't have dyed it." Fiyero said.

"I'm so sick of Galinda I could puke. It's bad enough having to go to the same school as her, but having to_ room _with her."

"Sorry Elphie."

"That's got to be rough."

"I'm so sick of finding her things all over the dorm, she never cleans, and just because she did once, doesn't mean she'll keep it up. When we first roomed together, she bitched and complained because she wasn't allowed a maid."

"Please. A spoiled little rich girl doesn't belong here. She needs to go back to where she came from."

"She keeps expecting everything to be handed to her on a silver platter. Well news flash, that's not how the world works."

"I'm never met a more selfish person."

"Yet she claims to be good."

Then, Elphaba checked the time, and bid everyone goodbye, as she hurried to class. The group then split up, going seperate ways, promising to get together the next day. None noticed that Galinda had been listening.


	12. August: Day Five

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

_August, Day Five_

The next morning, Galinda got dressed and headed to class. She'd dressed in a simple black skirt, white blouse, and black flats. Her hair was held back with a black headband, and she turned heads- not in a good way- as she slipped into her Life Sciences class that morning. After the shock wore off, the professor said,

"Welcome back, Miss Galinda."

She just nodded, as she slipped into her seat. Glancing around, she saw the shocked looks on her classmates' faces, and heard the whisper when Elphaba and Fiyero entered and passed by her to get to their seats.

"I told you she was brunette."

"I thought you were kidding." Elphaba shook her head, as they sat down. Class went on as usual, and for once, she actually took notes. When class got out, the talk on everyone's tongues, was Galinda's new look. She passed other students that whispered and poked fun behind their hands, that sneered and laughed at her, and when she made it to the Wilted Rose, she found that the gossip had even spread to the small cafe.

She was the talk of the town, and not in a good way.

After ordering her coffee, she hurried back to Shiz, made it in time for her next few classes, and once those were done, returned to the dorm, where she sat on her bed with a notebook and pen. She stared at it for several minutes, unable to think of anything, before finally writing down,

_Things to Do to Reinvent Self_

But did she want to reinvent herself? When she looked at it, yes, she wanted to. She wanted to prove to everyone- herself included- that she deserved to stay at Shiz, had a right to stay at Shiz. She wanted to show them all that she wasn't ready to go home yet. Now, all she needed to do was reinvent herself. And then she'd show everyone that she belonged.

_1. Dye hair._

_2. Try a new wardrobe._

_3. Try something new._

_4. Be more outgoing._

_5. Be nicer._

_6. Be confident._

Once she was done with the list, she got off her bed and went to Elphaba's closet. Slipping inside, she examined the clothing, noting that Elphaba wasn't afraid to try new styles like butterfly sleeves, batwing sleeves, jeans, trousers, leggings, pencil skirts, a-line skirts, capris, and other types of fashion. She was actually amazed at how close Elphaba paid attention to styles. She had flats, wedges, high heels, stilettos, tennis shoes, slippers, kitten heels and slingbacks, found residence in her closet, but not one single flip flop.

Galinda was slightly put off by the lack of flip flops, since she loved flip flops, but turned to her roommate's hats and gloves. She found two tams, three berets, two cloche, three fedoras and five newsboys. Apparently, Elphaba had a thing for hats. She then turned to the gloves, and found three pairs of fingerless gloves, two pairs of kidskin, four leather, one pair of opera gloves, and six pairs of arm warmers, some ratty and worn to within an inch of their lives in various shades; she also found ten pairs of leg warmers, some new, some so old they had fallen apart, and Galinda guessed it was some sort of emotional attatchment to the older warmers that prevented Elphaba from throwing them away.

Then, she turned to the hanging purse rack. At first, Galinda was surpriseda- Elphaba carried around her book bag and that stupid dance bag- so she thought those were the only bags she possessed. But boy, was she wrong. Hanging in order of size, were messenger bags, totes, clutches and hobos, of all different colors. Her scarves ranged from striped to solid colors, and Galinda found a couple beautifully decorated shawls as well.

She turned, and found a small table, with a Quoxwood jewelry box on it. Slowly opening it up, she found thread earrings, studs, drops, hoops, ankletsbangles, chokers, regular necklaces, rings, belly chains and even a few things that she had not idea what they were or were for. Sighing, she slipped out of the closet, only to hear the voice.

"_What are you doing_?"

She looked up, to see Elphaba standing on the other side of the room, dance bag over her arm, watching her. Suddenly, she could imagine what it must look like.

"I... I..."

"You what?" Elphaba asked, moving towards her. "You just decided to go through my closet. Do you have any respect for other people's-" She stopped, when something on Galinda's bed caught her eye. Slowly, she reached down, picking up the notebook and reading it. Galinda watched her eyes run over the words, before she looked up. Then, she scoffed and tossed the notebook back on the bed. "Okay, you've lost it."

As Elphaba continued to speak, Galinda moved away from the closet.

"Wh... what are you doing here? Don't you have class?"

"My last class was canceled. Madame Morrible got food poisoning." Elphaba stated matter-of-factly, tossing her bag on the bed. She meant the Sorcery professor and Head of Shiz. "So I have two hours before my Pointe class." She said, going into the closet and rummaging around for a while before coming back with her Pointe shoes. She sat on the bed, slipped out of her flats, unbandaged her feet, and slipped the shoes on. Galinda watched as Elphaba expertly tied the frayed ribbons on both shoes.

"Wh... when did you start Pointe?"

"I started Pointe at fourteen, but I've been dancing since I was a child." Elphaba said, as she tightened the second bow and stood, going to the middle of the floor to start warming up. However, she turned back. "Why?"

Galinda shook her head.

"No reason."


	13. August: Day Five, Part Two

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

_August, Day Five_

Fiyero looked up, to see Elphaba hurrying towards him. Dressed in her dance warm ups, she carried her bag by the handles, and broke into a run when she spotted him.

"Yero!"

Before her knew it, her arms were around him, and he was holding her several inches off the ground. Her dance bag sat on the grass beside them, and when he set her down, she kissed him deeply.

"Hey. What's wrong?"

"Why would you think anything's wrong?" She asked, cupping her face in his hands, the soft grey knit strangely rough against his skin.

"Just... the way you... never mind." He said, dropping the conversation. After a moment, she sighed, and said,

"I went back to the dorm today, because Sorcery was canceled, so I had time to warm up before Pointe and..." She bit her lip. "I found Galinda slipping out of my closet. Then, she acted like she hadn't been doing anything wrong. And, when I passed her bed, I found a notebook with a list of things to do in order to reinvent oneself."

"Why would she-"

"I don't know." Elphaba said, shrugging. After a while, she grabbed her dance bag, and took his hand. "Come watch me?"

"Does she allow guests?" Elphaba nodded.

"Yeah." Quickly, they hurried to the dance studio. Once there, Fiyero settled in a chair as Elphaba pulled on her Pointe shoes and began to warm up. She talked easily with the other students in class, and had formed several close friendships with the other dancers. Fiyero noted that the dancers were the ones that dressed as "homeless people"- a term Galinda had coined not long after he met her. And Galinda had included Elphaba as one of them.

As he watched his girlfriend in class, he found how easily she fit into this world; the art world, a world where artists were respected and encouraged, and where outsiders were shunned. She locked eyes with him more than once, smiling with light in her eyes that was only seen elsewhere when he was with her.

"Elphaba, I take it you have a special attachment to your guest." Madame Sektu said, glancing at Fiyero. Elphaba opened her mouth when one of her friends interrupted.

"He's her boyfriend." She let out a giggle as Elphaba blushed.

"Really?" Elphaba nodded. "Well, it's nice to have you here, Elphaba's boyfriend." He nodded, meeting Elphaba's eyes. Both blushed. After several minutes, class resumed. It got out an hour later, with Elphaba waving goodbye to her friends, before taking Fiyero's hand.

"So, now that you've met my crazy dance friends, what do you want to do?"

"I was going to meet Boq and Avaric for coffee, want to come?" He asked, meeting her eyes.

"I'd love too."

They walked to the small cafe, slipping into the door around nine, since her last class- Modern- got out at eight. They looked up, spotting Avaric and Boq at a table.

"Hey!"

"Hey, where have you been!"

"I was with Fae. She took me to her dance classes." Fiyero said, as the two sat down at the table. Coffee was ordered and brought, and they soon settled into a comfortable conversation. Half an hour past, and they looked up to see Nessa enter.

"Mind if I join you?" They moved over, making room, and Elphaba told Nessa about the list she'd seen on Galinda's bed.

"Seriously?" Her sister nodded. "You didn't say anything about that during lunch today."

"That's because I found it after. When I headed back to get my Pointe shoes, since Sorcery was canceled today."

"What was on it?" Boq asked.

"Um... dye hair... new wardrobe... trying something new... more outgoing... be nicer... and..." She bit her lip, trying to remember the last one. "Oh, um... be confident. That was the list."

"What is she trying to do, become someone else?" Fiyero asked. Elphaba shrugged, and then told them about the closet. As the conversation continued on, they found themselves poking fun at Galinda and her family.

"What I don't get, is how she can dye her hair, and honestly- honestly- think it looks good." The others shrugged, at Nessa's comment.

"She's trying too hard, if you ask me." Boq said, sipping his drink.

"I don't know about you, but she's annoying the hell out of me." Elphaba said, rolling the circular sugar dispenser between her long, slender fingers. She wore the light sheen of persperation along her forhead, and the worn but satisfied look of a dancer accomplished in her warm ups and rehearsals. Her hair had fallen from it's loose bun and now hung down around her shoulders in contained tangles.

"I wonder what she meant by 'try something new.'" The others shrugged, just as curious as Avaric.

"Maybe she meant dance?" Fiyero suggested. Elphaba wrinkled her nose and shook her head.

"No. That girl has the coordination of a snail. She wouldn't be able to survive in a dance class. Even a beginner's class."

"Besides, Fabala could dance circles around Galinda any time."

"Literally." Elphaba put in, agreeing with her sister.

"I don't know. I just know she's getting annoying." Fiyero said, wrapping an arm around Elphaba's shoulders.

"I say the sooner she packs up and ships out, the better off we'll _all_ be. And I think I know just how to get rid of her." Boq said, leaning close to tell them the plan.

"Here. Here." They clinked cups, toasting their new formed plan.


	14. August: Day Six

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

_August, Day Six_

Tossing her hair over her shoulder, she buttoned the dark purple blouse before grabbing the black kitten heels and slipping into them. She winced slightly, as her toes scraped against the insides of the shoes. After the rehearsals she'd had the day before, it was a wonder she could stand, let alone walk. She checked her reflection in the mirror hanging in the closet, as she heard the blonde- er, light brunette now- stretch and wake up.

"Finally decided to get up?" She asked, putting a pair of simple onyx dew drops on. She glanced into the room, and saw Galinda slowly sit up. The girl looked around, before glancing into the closet.

"What time is it?" Elphaba grabbed her coat, a pair of gloves, a hat and a scarf, followed by her purse, and slipped out of the closet, closing the door behind her.

"Seven ten."

"Where are you going?"

"Out."

"At seven in the morning? What's so important that it can't wait until later?"

Elphaba turned at the door. She stared at her roommate for several roommates, forgetting what they'd planned. But all too soon, it came flooding back, and she smirked.

"If you must know, I'm meeting Fiyero for coffee, and then meeting the girls for dance rehearsal. We have a recital coming up in December, and we need to work it out. Now if there's anything else, let me know." Galinda shook her head. "Good. Sweet dreams."

Then, she slipped out of the dorm, closed the door, and hurried out of the building, bundling up against the wind. She hurried out of campus, rushing to the Wilted Rose. While she was meeting the other girls in the studio at two for afternoon rehearsal, she had agreed to meet Fiyero and the others at the Wilted Rose to go over their plan. Once she got there, she slipped into the booth next to Fiyero, stealing a quick kiss.

"Hey, you made it."

"Of course I would. I wouldn't miss this for the world."

"So, what do we have, so far?" Boq asked, as the coffee arrived.

"Well, we know she's trying to reinvent herself." Fiyero said, as Elphaba stole a bite of his cinnamon roll.

"She's got a crush on me." Avaric put in.

"Fabala doesn't trust her." Nessa put in.

"And I won't, even if she somehow magically turns nice." Elphaba said, popping the bite into her mouth. "And by then, I'll probably be in the City."

"What?"

The others looked at her, all except for Nessa, who knew Elphaba's secret. After several moments of 'What do you mean you'll be in the City?', 'You aren't running out on us, are you?' and 'You're hiding something, aren't you, Elphie?', she finally gave in.

"I... The Wizard wants to see me. He wants me to be his Grand Vizier. And..." She bit her lip. "I found out from Madame Sektu last night, that... all the major dance companies want me. I have auditions for the Emerald City Ballet, the Ozian Dance Academy, and the Emerald Company of Dance as well as several others."

"That's great!"

"Congrats, Elphie!"

"Wow, Fabala, wow!"

Congratulations went all around for several minutes until Avaric asked, "When do you leave." Elphaba took a deep breath.

"Next week. Silence filled the small booth, as she turned to Fiyero. "And, I want you to come with me." She said, reaching for his hand. He started at her, shocked beyond words.

"What?"

She took his hand in her gloved one, as she stared into his eyes. "Come with me, Yero. To the Emerald City." Her voice was so full of wonder, so full of quiet excitement, that he couldn't help feeling drawn in by the light in her eyes. After a moment, he nodded.

"Of course."

She threw her arms around his neck, holding him close before pulling away and kissing him. When they parted, she turned to Nessa and reached for her hand.

"Nessie-"

"It's okay, Fabala. I don't want to go. I'd prefer to stay here. It's your adventure, not mine. Besides, you'll probably stop by to see Mama, and... better you than me. You know Mama and I don't get along." Nessa whispered, grasping her sister's gloved hand. She squeezed gently, giving her a small smile.

It was well known among the Thropp family that Nessa didn't like, nor forgive Melena for leaving them, even though she was only three at the time. Melena lived in the city, in a nice penthouse apartment. She worked as a model and dancer, even teaching dance classes. Over the years, Melena had come to visit her children, but Elphaba had always expressed wanting to move to the City with Melena. She belonged in the City, she was happy there. Nessa was happier in the country.

"Go Fabala. You'll have fun. You'll enjoy it. It'll be good for you." Elphaba gave her a small smile, before getting up and hugging her sister. When she sat back down, Avaric asked,

"When do you leave? What day?"

"Monday."

They continued to talk about Elphaba's trip, until Nessa steered them back on the real topic of why they'd gathered together: getting rid of Galinda.

"How do we-"

"If we just go along with the plan, it should work." Boq told them as they got up to leave. "Remember, stick to the plan."

They all agreed, as they headed back to Shiz, each going their seperate ways once they got to campus. As Elphaba led Fiyero into her dorm to get her dance things, she said,

"So be ready by six-thirty on Monday."

"I'll meet you here." Fiyero said, kissing her as she stood in front of her closet.

"What's happening Monday?" The two looked up, to see Galinda come out of the bathroom, in a towel, hair damp. Elphaba eyed her for a moment, before saying,

"If you must know, Yero and I are going to the City for a week. I have some dance auditions, and I want Fiyero to come with me." She didn't tell her the whole truth, but most of it. Then, she slung her dance bag over her shoulder, grabbed Fiyero's hand, and left, pulling him with her.


	15. August: Day Six, Part Two

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Question: Is she TRYING to be Elphaba?**

**Answer: Hmm... I'm not saying, you'll have to figure it out for yourselves**

**Thanks to lizziemagic for reviewing 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14, and to FabalaTiggular for reviewing 13.**

_August, Day Six_

Galinda watched the door close behind Elphaba and her boyfriend, before going to her closet. She changed into a fresh pair of underwear and a bra, and then stood in her closet, looking over her clothes. After a while, she chose a simple dark blue blouse, and then struggled with finding the right skirt. After rejecting everything, she turned to Elphaba's closet. Although she'd probably get in trouble, she looked through it anyway. Eventually, she picked out a simple, black, uneven skirt and tried it on.

After examining herself in the mirror, she returned to her closet and slipped into a pair of black flats. Then, she quickly brushed her hair, grabbed her book bag and left, deciding to spend time wandering around downtown. She'd written down a list of things to get next time she was downtown, and now fingered it in her jacket pocket as she wandered downtown. She stopped at the Wilted Rose and got a cup of coffee and a muffin, settling at a table to go over her list. Taking a sip of her coffee, she pulled the list out of her pocket, and looked over it.

_1. A-line skirts_

_2. Pencil skirts_

_3. Leggings_

_4. Bell sleeves _

_5. Cap sleeves_

_6. Blouses_

_7. Kitten heels_

_8. Bangles_

_9. Headbands_

_10. Scarves_

_11. Newsboy hats_

_12. Leather gloves_

She'd taken a page from Elphaba's book and decided to try some things she'd never worn before. Bangles were a thing she'd never seen- until she met Elphaba. In the Pertha Hills, you didn't wear bangles; they were unheard of. And leggings- well, let's just say that Gillikin was backwards in every way possible. She wasn't ready to try jeans, but was willing to try leggings.

Laughter caused her to look up, and see a group of girls- fourteen at least- enter the cafe. All were dressed in black tights, short black skirts, shorts, or spaghetti strap dresses, with leg and arm warmers of all colors, and over-sized sweaters. They wore their hair pulled back in buns or ponytails if it was long, and if it was short, it was held back with bobby pins. All had scarves around their necks, and carried dance bags. Instantly, Galinda knew who they were.

Dancers.

One voice caught her attention, and among the gaggle of laughter and conversation, Elphaba spoke out.

"We are going to rock this winter's dance recital. And Emerald U won't stand a chance at this semester's OZDC. We'll take first place like we did last year and the year before. All we need to do is work our asses off-"

"What asses?" A redhead interrupted. "_We don't have any_."

"That's because we do nothing but dance dance dance!" A brunette replied, causing the other girls to burst into laughter.

"You think we'll actually win, El?" Another girl asked.

"Um,_ hello_, we're the best dance troupe this side of the City. Of course we'll win."

The girls continued to chatter and joke, as they waited for their coffee. They settled at a table close to Galinda, and she sat watching them, studying their mannerisms. All were confident and outgoing, exactly what she needed to be to reinvent herself. And as for a hobby, well, maybe she could dance. Deciding to take this oppertunity, she got up and went to the girls.

"Um, excuse me. Excuse me!" She had to shout to be heard over the friendly banter and chit chat, and suddenly, she decided that it wasn't a good idea, since they were all staring at her, sizing her up. "Um, hi." They waited, never taking their eyes off of her. "I... I was just wondering..." She needed to hurry up and think of something before they jumped her. "what you guys are."

"What we are?" A redhead asked, surprised. _"Please tell me you did not just ask that."_

"Of course she did, Milla, she may be colored brunette, but she's still a blonde." Elphaba replied. The other girls laughed. When it died down, one girl said,

"We're the Shizian Sapphire Dance Troupe. We're the best in Oz, the most competitive, most well known, most creative troupe in Oz. We perform the best routines and we always win at our competitions." The other girls nodded in agreement.

"Oh. Do you have any openings?" Elphaba looked her up and down.

"No. We hold auditions at the beginning of the first year. The spots are usually filled by then, and we don't accept new members. Besides," Elphaba said, as the girls got up to recieve their drinks. "we have a competition next week in the City and so we have to prepare for it. Which is why we have to head over to the studio once we're done here."

As the girls left, Galinda followed them to the door, forgetting her things, when Elphaba turned, stopping the girl in her tracks. She eyed her roommate, before leaning close.

"I'd watch myself if I were you. If you plan on staying here, be sure to watch your back. You may have dyed your hair but that doesn't hide the fact that you're still Gillikin trash." Then, she reached out and gently brushed a stray curl away from Galinda's forehead, pondering her next words. "Because if you're not careful, you just might get stabbed."

Then, with one last glance towards Galinda, she left the cafe.


	16. August: Day Seven

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Thanks to lizziemagic and KarmelKisses2 for reviewing 15.**

_August, Day Seven_

The next morning, Boq slipped into the Wilted Rose, and searched for Nessa. Finally spotting her, he hurried to her table, and settled across from her.

"Hey, how are you?"

She smiled at him.

"I'm good. I've been helping Fabala pack for her trip. She's so excited." Nessa said, rolling her eyes. "She said she's going to stop by and see Mom while she's there."

"And that's a problem because?" Boq asked, looking into her eyes.

"It's not. It's just..." Nessa trailed off, staring into her coffee. "Mama... left when I was three. She... she promised to come back for us, but..."

"She never returned." She nodded, tears slowly sliding down her cheeks.

"Yeah. She... she sent us cards and gifts on our birthdays and holidays, but never came in person. The only time she came in person, was to Fabala's last dance recital in high school. She'd kept in touch with Fabala because of their shared love of dance, and so Fabala saw her alot more than I did. I've never forgiven her. I don't think I ever will."

They sat in silence for several minutes, before Nessa asked, "So how's the internship going?"

Boq took a sip of his coffee, before replying, "It's going good. I file papers, grade assignments, sit in on classes, the usual. And you? How are your classes?"

"They're okay. I still haven't decided on what I'm going to major in."

He chuckled softly.

"Don't worry, you don't have to declare a major until your second year. You've got time." Nessa shrugged.

"I don't think I'll ever be able to declare a major. I can't stand or walk, let alone dance. I can't sing. I'm no good at the arts at all. Fabala's the one with the artistic brain, not me. I'm no good at math or science, so those careers are out."

"I had trouble declaring mine. It takes a while, but you have to work at it. Try a few different things before you decide to major in something. You'll find it when you're ready."

"You think?" He nodded, as he got up. They left the cafe, returning to Shiz as the wind followed at their backs.

Laughter caught their attention, and they looked up to see Elphaba and her friends hurrying down the street. The gaggle of dancers were following behind an older woman, most likely the dance instructor. Suddenly, she turned and said something to them, and the chit-chat and happy chatter died down to silence, but immediately started up again five minutes later. Dressed in sapphire blue track suits, they carried dance bags and joked with each other as they headed back to Shiz.

Nessa caught sight of her older sister among them, her harlequin skin for once, blending in with the pale creams and whites of the other girls, due to the sapphire wrapped around her body. She had linked arms with a redhead, and the two girls were laughing and joking with their friends, as they snapped photographs on their phones or texted friends. At one point, Elphaba looked behind her, and, catching sight of her baby sister, gave her a small, yet loving smile.

Then, she pulled away from her friends, promising to catch up, and hurried back to the two.

"Hey guys."

"Hey Fabala."

"Hey Elphie, what are you doing out here?" Boq asked, wrapping his childhood friend in a hug. She hugged her sister, before pulling her long raven hair back in a high ponytail.

"We just got done with a competition."

"I thought-"

"We do. We have the intercity finals next week, but this week was the preliminary finals, to see which of the schools would go on to the intercity- us or Mchaven Pointe." Elphaba said, rolling her eyes at the mention of Shiz's small-city rival. Mchaven Pointe was a college town twenty miles north of Shiz. "We won. We're going to the finals next week."

"Congrats!"

"Kudos."

"Thanks. It was... kind of a given that we'd go, but... as usual, Mchaven had to wage war to make sure." She shook her head at the simple fact. "So what about you?"

"Nessa's just having problems declaring a major."

She turned to her sister.

"Why would you declare a major now? You have a whole year before you declare a major."

Nessa shrugged. "You declared a major your first year."

"But Ness, I know what I want to do. And besides, _you're not me_. Take your time."

"But... I'm not good at anything."

"Nessie, try a few things out. Take a few classes. You'll find something. It'll take time. Trust me."

"Fabala!"

She looked up, waving to Milla, who motioned her to hurry up, otherwise their coach would get wise.

"Look Nessie, I've got to go. But, we're doing an encore performance tonight at seven out on the quad. It's open to all the students. Come?" Nessa winced, unsure. "Please Nessie, for me."

"I don't know, Fabala-"

"Please, Nessie. Mama won't be there, you won't have to see her, I promise. And I want you there. Please, Nessie. Come for me?" After hearing that Melena wouldn't be there, she brightened, and after several moments of silent debate, she said,

"You promise Mama won't be there?"

"I promise."

"Okay. I'll come. For you, Fabala." The smile that lit her sister's pretty face warmed her heart, and she wrapped her sister in a hug.

"I'll bring her, Elphie."

"Thanks Boq." Elphaba straightened, and hurried to catch up to her friends. "I'll see you tonight! And thank you, Nessie!"

"You're welcome!"

Once Elphaba was gone, they continued on.

"I think it's wonderful what you're doing, Nessa."

She sighed.

"I know. The important thing is that it makes Fabala happy when I'm there. She's never excluded me from anything. She's always made sure I had a special seat at her recitals and performances and... she tries so hard to make sure I fit in... too hard..."

"She loves you, Nessa."

The young girl nodded.

"Yeah. She does."


	17. August: Day Seven, Part Two

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: Elphaba is a cross between...**

_August, Day Seven_

"You going to Elphaba's dance thing tonight?"

"Her performance? Of course, I wouldn't dream of missing it, Av."

"I forgot, you two are dating."

Fiyero rolled his eyes.

"I can't believe you don't approve of Elphaba."

"I didn't say that I don't approve of her, I just think she's out for herself more than for this relationship." He stopped when Fiyero turned to him. "What? I'm just telling you what I think."

"Not funny, Av."

They took a seat at the table and continued their conversation, both trying to make points as to why the relationship should continue.

"You aren't sleeping with her, are you?"

Fiyero rolled his eyes. "Please, I'm not that stupidly male. I don't sleep with the first female that crosses my path."

"You don't even know how to react when she sits in your lap."

"I-" He stopped and blushed, realizing what Avaric meant. "I'm more a gentleman than you are, Av. Besides, Elphaba and I are taking things slow. We want to get to know each other before we sleep together."

Avaric rolled his eyes.

"I know. I just don't want you to get hurt."

"As you've stated, time and time again. I'll be fine. I'm a grown up. I can take care of myself. But I am going with her to the City. I think it'll be good for both of us to get away for a week or so."

"Any idea on what you're going to do, besides her auditions and meeting with the Wizard?" Fiyero shrugged.

"I don't know. I do know that there won't be any business meetings of the sort. Those are my father's dealings, not mine. I just wanta normal life."

"Yero, you're Crown Prince of the Vinkus, you'll never have a normal life."

"Not unless I abdicate."

Avaric sighed.

"Do you really want to do that?"

"... No. But I don't want to rule a country, either, Av."

As they left the cafeteria and made their way across the green, they noticed other students making their way towards the green, where the performance was being held. They saw a number of their friends, talking and laughing, waiting for the performance to begin. As Fiyero and Avaric made their way towards the stage, they saw Nessa and Boq, and Galinda further on.

"Boq! Nessa!" They hurried towards the two, who looked up from their conversation as they neared.

"Hey! What are you doing here?"

"We wouldn't miss this for the world. You?"

"I... I promised Fabala I'd be here." Nessa said over the chatter. Fiyero watched the younger girl, noting how uneasy she felt around the crowd. After a moment, he reached out and squeezed her shoulder.

"She cares about you, Nessa."

"I know."

Suddenly, the dance coach came onstage, tapping the microphone once before speaking.

"Hey everyone. I'm glad you could all make it tonight. As you all know, our girls are going to the City to compete in the intercity finals next week." Cheers answered back, as sapphire and emerald pendants waved in the air- Shiz's school colors. "We had the preliminary finals today, and that just proved that we are going to the intercity finals!"

Fiyero had never seen so much excitement, and he momentarily blocked the rest of the coach's speech.

"... Now please welcome our very own Shizian Sapphires!"

She left the stage as the girls came on, dressed in black dance pants with emerald and sapphire stripes down the right side, and matching tops. As the dance began, Fiyero realized that he couldn't take his eyes off Elphaba. She seemed to light up the whole performance, and the smile she wore never left her face as she performed. They locked eyes more than once, and every so often, she'd mouth 'I love you.'

She had captured his heart, and had showed him that he didn't have to be the prince, that he could live a normal life without his crown always hanging over his head. He was carefree when he was around her and their friends; he was more open around Avaric, not always keeping silent. Before, he'd have spent every day in the library, reading and working on homework. Before he would have kept to himself, preferring to be friendless to making friends. Now, he was willing to spend nights out with friends, laughing and joking; he was more outgoing, willing to take risks, and it was all thanks to Elphaba.

Avaric watched the performance, but he also kept a close eye on Fiyero. The crown prince was his best friend, his brother; they'd grown up together, and while they lived entirely different lives- Avaric was the partier, Fiyero the bookworm. It was astounding how two people so different could end up best friends. But it had happened. And as he watched Elphaba perform, he realized that she was not only in love with Fiyero, but also the stage, the dance, the feel of performing.

She loved all of that, and also had enough love in her heart for Fiyero as well. Though protective of Fiyero, he hoped that Elphaba would show her true colors that week in the City with Fiyero, and that Fiyero would be wise enough to chose between staying with her if she was truthful, and leaving her if she wasn't. He wasn't going to see Fiyero get hurt by a girl who was only out for fame and fortune. He didn't want to see him be strung along only to get cut when something or someone better came along.

If that happened, there'd be hell to pay.


	18. August: Day Seven, Part Three

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: Sorry this one's so short**

**Question: will elphie's love for yero be slightly greater than her love of the stage?**

**Answer: you'll have to read to find out**

**Thanks to lizziemagic for reviewing 16 and 17, and to KarmelKisses2 for reviewing 17.**

_August, Day Seven_

Galinda watched the girls, wanting so much to be a part of them. She wanted to be as outgoing as her roommate, as carefree, as 'in' as she was. Hell, for lack of a better word, she wanted Elphaba's life. Why not be honest, that's what she wanted. She was sick of her life, and wanted a new one, and if she had to go about getting a new one by taking someone else's, then fine, that's what she'd have to do.

Short of killing her, that is.

She watched them silently, comparing herself to Elphaba. Elphaba had the grace of a dancer; she was only about five foot three, but to Galinda, was tall and slender, with ebony hair and piercing violet eyes in a heart-shaped face. She was everything Galinda wasn't, everything Galinda wanted to be. And if she had to get Elphaba out of the picture, she'd do just that. Not that she wanted to, but if she had to, she had to.

She glanced around, seeing classmates, teachers, before finally landing on Elphaba's small group of friends. They stopped their chatter and locked eyes with her for several minutes, before returning to their conversation. Before she knew it, the performance had ended, and to thunderous applause, the girls left the stage, joining their friends in the audience. Elphaba rushed to Fiyero, throwing her arms around him in a tight hug, before pulling way and turning to her sister. She wrapped the younger girl in a hug and kissed her cheek gently. The two conversed silently, and seeing her chance, Galinda approached Elphaba and her friends.

She tried hard to think of something to say, but could only come up with,

"You did good."

After a few moments, Elphaba, who had turned towards her, nodded.

"Thanks."

Then, Galinda returned to her dorm; Elphaba followed thirty minutes later, having said goodbye to her friends. Sitting on her bed, Galinda watched her roommate shimmy out of her dance costume and change into her pajamas, before she too climbed into bed, book in hand. Once she was settled, Galinda asked,

"How do you do it?"

"Do... what?" Elphaba asked, looking up from her book.

"Be you?"

Slowly, one perfectly plucked eyebrow raised.

"_Excuse me?"_

"How do you be you?"

"I'm not understanding what you're asking." Elphaba said. Slowly, Galinda settled on the bed across from her.

"How do you... become you?"

Suddenly uneasy, Elphaba set her book down and climbed out of bed, backing away from Galinda. The other girl watched her roommate, with a calmness that surprised even her.

"Wh... why do you want to know that?" Galinda shrugged.

"I'm just... trying to reinvent myself."

"_I know_. And you're failing at it." Elphaba said, keeping a close eye on her roommate as she inched towards the door.

"I know that." Galinda said, rolling her eyes. "So I figure, why not take over as someone else?"

"Okay, you're seriously scaring me." Elphaba said, backing away from Galinda and going to the door.

"Really? Sorry. I just... I don't want to be me." Galinda said, moving towards Elphaba, until she'd backed her against the door. "So I'll be you." Then, she grabbed Elphaba's ponytail and pulled. A struggle ensued, and eventually, the door opened and Elphaba stumbled out, rushing towards the head's office. Other students came out to see what the commotion was, and realizing something was wrong, were able to contain Galinda while Elphaba rushed to get the head.

With Morrible in tow, Elphaba told her about Galinda and what she'd been planning. Galinda of course laughed it off, and deciding it'd be best to take her to the infirmary, she escorted Elphaba and a couple other girls- who walked with Galinda between them. Once there, the nurse strapped Galinda to a bed, and thoroughly examined her, before calling the school shrink.

After several minutes, the woman determined that Galinda had had a slight mental breakdown caused by stress, and suggested she stay in the infirmary for the next four weeks, prescribing a medication to help her sleep, and telling the nurse to keep a close eye on her. After the others left, the nurse gave her a sedative, and she drifted off to sleep.


	19. August: Day Eight

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: _Okay_, I learned the hard way, that this is the type of story that you don't drop in the middle...**

**Thanks to KarmelKisses2, lizziemagic, Drama Queen Sunniebunn and jnjluvsbooks32 for reviewing 18.**

_August, Day Eight_

"Ready?"

Elphaba looked up, nodding. She yawned.

"Yeah."

"You okay? You look tired." Elphaba rolled her eyes.

"My roommate went off the deep end last night. Tried to kill me."

"Yikes." Elphaba nodded at the look on Fiyero's face. She sighed. After several moments of silence, she said,

"She's staying in the infirmary for a few weeks. Hopefully they lock her up for good, but who knows when or if that'll happen."

"What... exactly happened?" He asked, as they boarded the plane. The two moved to their seats and settled down before Elphaba finally told him the whole story.

"She... I got back to the dorm after the performance, and once I'd climbed into bed, she starts asking all these really... weird questions."

"Like... what?" He asked, meeting her eyes.

"Like... 'How do you be you' and 'How do you become you'... she said that since she was failing at reinventing herself, she was going to become someone else. She... she said that she was going to become me. And then she attacked me. The only thing I remember is her trying to strangle me before I rushed to Morrible's office. I told her everything, and when we got back to my dorm, we asked a couple other girls to help take her to the infirmary. The nurse strapped her to the bed. She was muttering about needing to get to the City for our dance competition."

Fiyero raised his eyebrows.

"I'd say she's gone off the deep end, Fae."

Elphaba nodded, before resting her head on his shoulder.

"I know... and I'm glad we're going to the City. It'll be nice... to be away from Shiz for a while."

He nodded, reaching out and taking her hand.

"It certainly will be."

The flight went off without a hitch, and an hour in, Elphaba found herself dozing softly on Fiyero's shoulder. Sudden movement however, woke her from her slumber, and she sat up, looking around quickly, before her sleepy violet eyes turned to her companion.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." He said, glancing out the window. She shrugged.

"It's okay. I'm surprised I slept at all... I didn't get much sleep last night, because I kept..."

"Dreaming about Galinda?" She nodded, yawning.

"Yeah, and she was... trying to strangle me." He chuckled softly, and reached up to cup her cheek.

"Well you don't have to worry, because she's not here." She rolled her eyes, before leaning over and kissing him.

"My night in shining-"

"Armour?"

"No. Diamonds." She laughed then, rubbing her nose against his before kissing him again. They stayed like that for several moments, locked at the lips, tasting each other, before he pulled away softly and asked,

"So what happens once we reach the City?" She thought a moment, before saying,

"Well, we settle into our hotel, and then... we can go exploring or... stay in the room..." She whispered, capturing his lips again. They continued to kiss, until the stewardess appeared with the coffee Fiyero had ordered for them. The rest of the flight, they spent it talking and whispering softly to each other so as not to disturb the other passengers, although the girls in the dance troupe with Elphaba couldn't help whispering and giggling about Elphaba's new crush.

"So, who are you rooming with at the hotel?"

She smiled at him. "You."

"Really? What about the dance troupe?"

"They know I'm staying with you. As long as I show up for performance, it's perfectly okay." She said, sipping her coffee.

He chuckled softly.

"Well, then how about we... spend the day in the room... getting to know the room?" She smiled at him.

"Sounds good." Then, she kissed him, as soft giggling from her teammates reached her ears. She rolled her eyes, ignoring the other girls, and allowing herself to get lost in the taste of her boyfriend.

_Boyfriend._

The word rang loud and clear in her head, and she opened her eyes briefly before closing them again.

She'd never had a boyfriend before; she'd never wanted one. She'd been a flirt, but had never been on a date, until she'd met Fiyero. And after she'd met Fiyero, she'd gone from no interest in boys, to coffee dates and kisses in a matter of a few short days. They hadn't even decided that they were dating- they just were. No warning, no discussion, no questions.

Just. Dating.

And maybe that's what she liked about it.

Maybe she liked just dating.

There was no fumbling with awkward silences concerning when they should go out or where. No strange talks about celebrating anniversaries. There was none of that.

There was just... them. Together.

Spending time together and enjoying each others' company.

Like friends. Like friends who were dating.

Like couples.

He pulled away, and looked into her eyes. After several moments of silence, he said,

"You're beautiful, you know that?"

She smiled at him, before reaching up to tangle her fingers in his hair. Sighing contentedly, she locked eyes with him and said,

"So are you."


End file.
